New clinical trial designs and more resources for Spain to achieve excellence
Via: www.elglobal.es
Clinical and industry experts carry out a decalogue with measures to strengthen the Spanish research system
In recent years, Spain has positioned itself among the countries in the world with the best conditions to host the development of clinical trials for new drugs. In fact, one out of every three tests carried out in Europe already has Spanish participation.
The research and development model for new medicines is increasingly international, open and collaborative, and Spain has positioned itself very well to benefit from these developments and attract more research investment by pharmaceutical companies to the country. In fact, the pharmaceutical industry is already leading R&D investment in the entire industry in Spain, with 20 percent of the total, and almost half of the more than 1,100 million euros it invests per year are in contracts with third parties , mainly hospitals, universities and other public and private research centers.
In this sense, Farmaindustria has been working for a long time to contribute to promoting excellent research in the country. The document Criteria of excellence for conducting clinical trials responds to this objective. It is a decalogue with recommendations to enhance the role that Spain can play as a world reference country for conducting clinical trials on new drugs. It is the product of the opinion of 120 experts from hospital centers and pharmaceutical companies participating in the BEST project, Farmaindustria’s initiative to promote clinical research in Spain.
The authors of the document recall that in the current scientific landscape, where clinical research is increasingly open, collaborative and global, Spain has positioned itself among the European countries with the best conditions for the development of clinical trials, “among other factors, for the scientific level of health professionals, the excellence of our hospitals, the support of the Health Administration, the increasing involvement of patients and the confidence of the pharmaceutical industry in our country, in its professionals and in its facilities, “explains the report. .
New designs and metrics
Experts highlight that now, for Spain to make the leap to being one of the world leaders in clinical research, it is necessary, among other aspects, “highly qualified human teams, adequately sized, endowed with professionalized resources and with a high degree of involvement and motivation; Managers committed and involved in facilitating an ecosystem that favors clinical research, and the promotion of research in early stages developed by researchers of excellence in the country, ”says the Decalogue.
In addition, the document states that it is necessary to promote the realization of new trial designs, in order to improve clinical development times and the incorporation of quantitative and qualitative metrics that allow identifying areas of improvement in which to work to help be predictable. and gain in competitiveness. The group of experts is also committed to greater flexibility in adapting to new monitoring procedures, “which will require mechanisms for remote monitoring,” an aspect whose need has been clearly demonstrated in the current coronavirus pandemic.
And it is not just a question of financial investment. “This model has an impact on the improvement of the health system, since it generates investment for hospitals, training and prestige for doctors and, above all, added value for patients, who benefit from early access to medicines and the greater quality of healthcare provision ”, explains Humberto Arnés, CEO of Farmaindustria.
In Spain, the pharmaceutical industry is already leading R&D investment in the entire industry, and many companies contribute to promoting excellent research in the country.
